I hope you win, just for sheer perseverance and dogged determination in the face of overwhelming political and naval stupidity.

x2. But it makes way too much sense. Much better to toss all that work into the dumpster and start over. I REALLY hope NG wins it though. Consider, it's likely got much more payload and fuel capacity than any GA Avenger variant. It's ALREADY shown it can take off and land on a carrier. AND it's already performed aerial refueling as I recall. This should be NG's hands down.

That with the right marketing should really appeal to the current administration. It's good business. What they need to do is fly it and have a dry hook-up with an F-18. Would make for a great photo op. Has the fuel off-load at a specific radius been published for CBARS?

I hope you win, just for sheer perseverance and dogged determination in the face of overwhelming political and naval stupidity.

x2. But it makes way too much sense. Much better to toss all that work into the dumpster and start over. I REALLY hope NG wins it though. Consider, it's likely got much more payload and fuel capacity than any GA Avenger variant. It's ALREADY shown it can take off and land on a carrier. AND it's already performed aerial refueling as I recall. This should be NG's hands down.

And when the Navy go "OH NO!!! WE NEED LOW OBSERVABLE STRIKE! !! HELP!!" NG can just drop the gas tanks and laugh as they trolled the Navy hard.

And when the Navy go "OH NO!!! WE NEED LOW OBSERVABLE STRIKE! !! HELP!!" NG can just drop the gas tanks and laugh as they trolled the Navy hard.

The X-47b is not stealthy even after dropping hose refuelling pods. It is simply a demonstrator that is representative of a stealthy shape. If NG won the contract and applied the low observable treatments, antennae etc. when the requirements did not dictate it, then their profit margins would be reduced considerably.

And when the Navy go "OH NO!!! WE NEED LOW OBSERVABLE STRIKE! !! HELP!!" NG can just drop the gas tanks and laugh as they trolled the Navy hard.

The X-47b is not stealthy even after dropping hose refuelling pods. It is simply a demonstrator that is representative of a stealthy shape. If NG won the contract and applied the low observable treatments, antennae etc. when the requirements did not dictate it, then their profit margins would be reduced considerably.

And it would still be cheaper than starting over with a completely new design, and get to the fleet sooner.

So the shape, engine, all the same? Just systems and skins updated for the later strike models. Sounds like a perfectly reasonable development path. Like a F35 of the drone world.

Adopting a platform that is designed with a development path towards increased levels of low observable characteristics is an eminently sensible idea if it can be done cost effectively (if that happens remains to be seen). So in the short term "just drop the gas tanks"... Erm no.

I actually think we're generally in agreement here and we've wasted enough electrons on this debate.

Still, I am a little bit surprised that Northrop didn't include any added ctrl surface to mitigate the frustrated expectation expressed by the Navy when they stated that the wing body design was more suited for a carrier aircraft. Unless they have a trump card, obviously.

Still, I am a little bit surprised that Northrop didn't include any added ctrl surface to mitigate the frustrated expectation expressed by the Navy when they stated that the wing body design was more suited for a carrier aircraft. Unless they have a trump card, obviously.

The Skyray didn't seem to have any problems, and was one of the better naval aircraft of its time. Sounds more like the USN getting twitchy over the unfamiliar. (And yes, yes, safety comes first when it comes to carrier aircraft, but if the USN never got out of its comfort zone they'd still be flying tail-draggers.)

And the X-47 has much more power, lower wing-loading, and computer control. I'd also argue that the X-47 has lower drag (for its size) to start with anyway. Looks like it's flying at a lower AOA too. I don't think having "too much drag" is a factor.